MORSI AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD DID THIS MUCH FASTER THAN ERDOGAN AND THE ISLAMIST AKP:

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has sacked the entire leadership of the country's defense establishment.

Among the officials and officers fired are Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and Chief of Staff Sami Anan.

Morsi appointed Abdul-Fatah al-Sessi as Defense Minister and Lieutenant-General Sidki Sayed Ahmed as Army Chief of Staff. A judge named Mahmoud Mekki was appointed vice president. Morsi also ordered the retirement of the commanders of the navy, air defense and air force. The retired navy commander, Lieutenant-General Mohan Mameesh, was named as chairman of the Suez Canal.

Morsi also cancelled all constitutional changes that gave the military enlarged powers.

Last week, Morsi fired the Head of General Intelligence, General Morad Mu'afi, following the Sinai terror attack in which 16 policemen were killed. Egyptian news sources also said that Morsi had sacked the governor of Sinai.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi appears to be wasting no time in consolidating his hold over power at the expense of the military, which many hoped would be a moderating power over him.

THERE IS NOW, AS A RESULT OF THIS, ABSOLUTELY NO ORGANIZED FORCE FOR SECULARISM OR MODERATION WITHIN THE GOVERNING APPARATUS OF EGYPT - OR ANY IN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.

Go get more over at Astute Bloggers.

FROM WILL AT THE OTHER NEWS:

Mursi now more powerful than Mubarak was, raises fears of new 'Muslim Brotherhood' dictatorship

Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi’s decision to remove defense minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Army Chief-of-Staff Sami Annan and several other commanders from their posts has brought full civilian rule to the country but raised fears of possible abuse of power and a return to dictatorship.

Mursi’s decision to also annul a constitutional amendment that gave the generals sweeping powers was another sign he was seeking to restore the president’s authorities over the powerful military.

Omar Ashour, an Egyptian analyst and visiting scholar at the Brookings Doha Center, said Mursi’s decisions “will enter history as a significant shift in civil-military balance of power towards the civilian side.”

“This is the first time in Egypt’s political history that an elected civilian politician overrules the decisions of the heads of the military establishment,” he said.

There have been conflicting reports on whether Mursi had discussed the decisions with Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) prior to announcing them. Ashour said the decision was “negotiated with some members of the SCAF, most notably General Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, now defense minister and former head of military intelligence.”

“The appointment of al-Sisi is a very clever choice…al-Sisi, being head of military intelligence, has enough information on the army’s internal factions. This will be of enormous use to the President.” Ashour added. However, Egyptian political analyst Hani Nesira feared the surprise moves were part of a coup that dangerously put all powers in the hands of President Mursi.

“He is becoming even more powerful than Hosni Mubarak used to be,” Nesira told Al Arabiya English. “I think this is part of the Muslim Brotherhood's strategy that has targeted the media by shutting down a newspaper and a television station. Now it has annulled the constitutional amendments previously demanded by many revolutionary and nationalist powers, including member of the parliament itself,” Nesira said. Mursi’s decisions have opened doors for a new conflict between the Brotherhood movement and other political factions, or could also be later rejected as unconstitutional, he added.

Aren't you glad Obama helped 'remove' that evil dictator Mubarak?

Read the full story here.

UH-OH: MORSI AND MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SWIFTLY PURGE THE MILITARY